Box machine



Feb. 20, 1934. N. MARcALUs 1,947,561 Box MACHINE l l gled Feb. 27; 1931 4 sheets-sheet 1A Z9 lllllhl Aam-renueva Feb- 20 1934 N. MARcALUs 1,947,561

Bol; summumv nl ed Feb.' 27. 1931 A 4 sheetsl-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Feb. 20, 1934. N. MARCALUS` B'OX MACHINE Filed Feb. 2.7. 1931'. 4 Shegts-Sheet 4 'LATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1934 PATENT Orrick' 1,947,561 Box MACHINE Nicholas Marcalus, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Automatic Paper Machinery Co. Inc., a corporation of New Jersey v Application February 27, 1931. Serial No. 518,683

Claims. (Cl. 93-51) This invention relates to machines for forming cardboard boxes from pre-cut blanks. Many machines of this kind have been designed and operated, but all of them are complicated in 5 structure, :frequently get out of order and are incapable of producing a satisfactory box at high speeds. It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple, rugged box machine having the fewest possible moving parts and capable of operating efciently at high speeds.

In the machine of the present invention each succeeding operation takes place below the one preceding so that the progress of the work is always downward and is assisted by gravity. The

1;; blanks from which the boxes are formed are supported vertically in a magazine placed near the top of the machine. From this magazine they are withdrawn one by one and led to a pair of feed rollers placed directly below the go magazine. One of these feed rollers is provided with spaced lugs which overlap the ends of ,the other roller and bend the aps extending from the ends of the side wall sections of the blanks as they pass between the rollers.v In order that these lugs shall always Contact with the flaps only, and not with the end wall sections of the box, I provide means for accurately positioning each blank with reference to the feedI rollers as it is fed tothem. ,The blanks with the flaps bent then pass directly to the gluing rollers, situated immediately beneath the reed rollers, which apply glue 'to the inner face of -the end Wall sections only. From the gluing rollers the blanks proceed vertically downward to 'the forming 'i5 means comprising 'a horizontally reciprocating ram and a cooperating die which fold the box, and a pair or reciprocating presser members which press against the ends of the box while it is held on the ram within the die, and cause the glued end walls to adhere to the aps on the side sections. As the ram is retracted the on-coming blank falls upon the formed box and assists in discharging it from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention. In these drawings Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through the machine taken along line 1 1 of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine; Figure 3 is a plan View showing the magazine and the feeding means; Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along line 4 4 of Figure l showing the ram extending within the forming die; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing the ramin its retracted position with a blank situated between the ram and the die just prior to the forming operation; Figure 6 is a detail illustrating a blank in progress between the feed and flapbending rollers; Figure 7 is a similar detail illustrating a blank passing between the gluing a@ rollers; Figure 8 is a plan View taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7 showing the gluing rollers with their associated feedrollers; Figure 9 is an enlarged View of one of the glue-applying rollers taken along line 9-9 of Figure 7 and illustrat`I- g5 ing the action of the doctor; Figure l0 is a detail taken along line 10-10 of Figure 2 illustrating the operating gear chain; and Figure l1 is a perspective of a finished glued and folded box made by the machine.

The machine illustrated in these drawings comprises a pair of side members 12 spaced apar-t by means of cross-bars 13 and forming a frame which supports the various operating elements of the machine. I shall now describe these elements in the order in which they successively act on the blanks in their passage through the machine, beginning logically with the magazine in which the blanks are held. i

This magazine comprises a downwardly'in'- vg@ clined guideway consisting of a pair of spaced rails i4 mountedon barsrl near the top of the machine and shaped so as to receive the blank 16. The blank illustrated in Figure 2 is the blank of the old and well-known Brightwood box con- 85 sisting of a bottom section 17, side wall sections 18, cover section i9, end Wall sections I20 and iiaps 21. Immediately below the magazine are situated two feed rollers 22 splined on a shaft 23 and eaclrprovided with an endless belt 24 ex 9o tending forwardly around an idler roller 25 mounted on a shaft 26. These two belts 24, although not supporting the full weight of the blanks, act asa moving` bottom for the magazine and constantly urgethe blanks downward along the guideway through frictional contact. The lower end of each rail 14 is provided with an inwardly projecting pin 27 against which the innermost and lowermost blank abuts, these pins holding the blanks withiri the magazine until 10i)l positively removed by the means which I shall now describe.

A suction pipe 28 is mounted midway between the side members 12 and immediately adjacent the innermost blank in the magazine. This suction pipe is supported by means of an arm 29v mounted upon a rock shaft 30. The upper end of this arm 29'is provided with acam roller 31 which is constantly urged into contact with a cam 32 on a shaft 33 by means of a spring 34. 110

Thus, as the shaft 33 is rotated the suction pipe 28 is reciprocated and in its outward movement contacts with the innermost blank.- The'suction pipe is connected with an air exhaust pump, not

illustrated, which is-in continuous operation and creates a suflicientv vacuum to enable the suction.

pipe to carry with it on its return stroke the innermost blank in the magazine, the pull exerted by the pipe being suilicient to cause the sides of the blank to snap past the retaining pins 27. The blank is now in position to pass between the feed rollers 22 and cooperating feed rollers 35 on parallel shaft 36.

The outer ends of feed rollers 22 are provided withy adjustably mounted bending lugs 37 which cooperate with the outer ends of feed rollers 35 to bend the Aflaps 21 of the blanks into position at right angles to the plane of the blank, as illustrated most clearly in Figure 6. It is important,

however, that theend walls 20 situated betweenI 'the flaps\21 shall remain unbent because these ends must be glued in a subsequent operation. It is, therefore, important-that the bending lugs 37 contact with the naps only and not .with the end walls. This means thateach blank must be fed between the feed/rollers 22 and 35 in exact relationship to the lugs 37. I shall now describe the mechanism by which I accomplish this.

Mounted on shaft`33 are a pair of disks 3 8 each provided with a radially extending pin 39 adapted to engage the upper edge of each blank as it is withdrawn from the magazine by the suction pipe 28 and force it downward against a pair of positioning stops 40 on the feed rollersl35. The shaft 33 on which the disks 38 are mounted is driven from shaft 36 by a belt 4l and at the same number of revolutions per minute. The disks 38, however, are of slightly greater diameter than the feed rollers 35 so that the pins 39 move at a slightly greater peripheral speed than the positioning stops 40. It happens, therefore, that each blank is positively moved into contact with the positioning stops, each blank being slightly bowed in the process as illustrated most clearly in Figure 1. In this manner each blank occupies precisely the correct position relative to the bending lugs 37, as it passes between the feed rollers.

As the blank emerges from between the feed rollers 22 and 35 with the end ilapsbent it is passed immediately between the'gluing rollers vwhich are situated immediately below. These gluingv rollers, as most clearly illustrated in- Figure 8, comprise two pairs of cooperating feed rollers 42 mounted on shafts 43 and 44 which bear against thev body of the blank and feed it downward, and two glue-applying rollers l mounted on `shaft"43 cooperating with two rubber-faced backing rollers 46. mounted on shaft 44. As the blanks pass between the lgluing rollers, the naps 21 extend within the space between rollers 42 and 45, while the ends 20 pass between and in contact with the faces of rollers 45 and 46. As illustrated most clearly in Figure 8, the diameter of each backing roller 46 is slightly less than that of the adjacent feed roller 42, so that .in the absence of a blank, the glue-"applying rollers 45 cannot contact with tle backing rollers and smear them with glue. I shall now describe how the glue isapplied to the gluing rollers with a lm of glue.

particular reference to Figures 7 and 9.

M' the thickness of such lm in gluing operations, it is customary to employ'a doctorA If all of the glue adhering to-the face ofthe glue roller and passing beneath the doctor were applied to the work so that at-each revolution a completely vnew supply of glue were picked up, a single doctor could be satisfactorily employed. It is obvious, however, that all of the glue is not used up and must be carried back into the glue bath. It is not long before this excess glue, unless promptly removed, hardens, makes continued gluing im-v possible, and the machine must be stopped and ,the hardened glue scraped off. It is'customary,

therefore, to employ a scraper for removing this excess glue before it returns to the bath. 'I'his is wasteful of glue and Where space is -.limited the positioning of this scraper is diilicult. In

accordance with the present invention I have ure 9. Each rib 49 scrapes clean all of the glue on that part of the glue-applying roller passing in contact with it, while the adjacent groove permits the applied glue topass through it. During this passage, however, due to the angularity of the groove, the ribbon of glue is dellected to one side and emerges displaced just suflicient to bring it in alinement with one of the ribs when the rotation of the glue-applying roller brings it again into contact with the doctor. Any glue remaining is, therefore,. completely wiped off by a rib at the beginning of thesecond revolution. This operation will, perhapsf be made more clear by an examination of Figure 9. That'part ofthe glue-applying roller below the just passed through the glue bath. The ribs 49, however, where they contact with the face of the rollerscrape it clean, while `the adjacent grooves 50 permit ribbons of glue to pass across the doctor emerging as illustrated in a series of spaced stripes, each stripe of glue being now alined with the scraping edge of the next adjacent rib.

On the next rotation of the roller any glue in that stripe which has not `been utilized, and

which, if allowed to remain, lwould harden, is vcompletely scraped off. Thus, by,r the use of a single doctor, positioned between the point of application of the'glue to the roller and its application to the work, I am enabled to wipe the glue-applying roller clean on every rotation. `At the same time the glue is applied to the face of the roller and, in consequence, to the blank in the form of stripes, which, under pressure, flatten out and substantially cover the area to be glued.

After the glue is applied the blank is passed directly to the forming means which are situated immediately below the lgluing rollers. These forming means comprise a horizontally reciprocatingram 51, a forming -die 52 and pair of compression blocks 53. The ram 51 is carried by a bar 54 sliding in guides 5 5 mounted on cross-bars 13. The reciprocation of the ram is effected by means of a lever 56. mounted on a rock-shaft 57 and provided at its lower end with a yoke 58 which engages studs 59 of the bar 54' and, at its upper end, with a cam roller 60 held in engagement with a cam 61 on shaft 36 by means of a coil spring 62. The forming die 52 comprises three -Ushaped sections mounted on one of the cross-bars 13. 'I'he compression blocks 53 are castings loosely and slidanbly mounted on the same cross-bar 13 and reciprocated by means doctor is completely covered with glue, having of levers 63 pivoted at 64 on blocks 65 adjustably mounted on a cross-bar 66 by means of clamping plates 67. The lower ends of these levers are provided with yokes 68 loosely engaging studs 69 on the compression blocks 53, and the upper ends, with cam rollers 70 engaging cam rollers 71 carried by backing rollers 46 and rotating therewith. The compression blocks 53 are normally held retracted by means of a coil spring 72 connecting the upper ends of the levers 63.

The glued blank is held in forming position between the ram and the die by means of a pair of vertical channels 73 closed at their bottoms to form stops 74. Let us assume that the parts are in the position illustrated in Figure 5 with the ram retracted and a blank held in the channels 73 between the ram and the forming die. The stop 74 is so positioned that the bottom section 17 of the blank is directly alined with the ram. The ram now moves inward, engages the bottom 17 and moves'it directly into the forming die'. This operation folds the sides 18 of the box, as illustrated in Figure 1 and also folds the glued ends 20 over the previously bent flaps 21, this action being facilitated by ngers 75 on the forming die which engage the aps 21 and further bend them in advance of the bending of the ends 20. When the folded box is in the innermost position within the forming die, the cam roller 60 rides on the cylindrical face of the cam 61, holding the ram stationary for a predetermined length of time. During this time the compression blocks 53 .are moved inward by the proper timing of cam rollers 71 and exert a pressure against the overlappingglued ends of the box. As these compression blocks are loosely mounted and as the centers of studs 69 are in the plane of the middle of the box, the pressure is properly applied and evenly distributed. If, for any reason, the pressure should be excessive the blocks 65 on which the levers 63 are pivoted may slide along the bar 66 and thus relieve that pressure and prevent breakage of any part of the machine.

After the cam rollers 71'have passed rollers 70 and spring 72 has retracted the compression blocks 53, cam 61 has rotated far enough to permit spring 62 to retract the ram 5l which carries with it the formed and glued box. Just at this moment the next blank drops down into the channels 73 and strikes the upper side of the outwardly moving formed box carried by the ram and assists in discharging that box after it has been stripped from the ram by a pair of strippers 76 which engage the ends of the box asthe ram is retracted.

leower is supplied to the. machine through a pulley 77 mounted on shaft 78. This shaft is provided with a pinion 79 which meshes with gears 80 and 81 which in turn mesh with gears 82 and 83 respectively (see Figure 10). Gear 80 is fixed to shaft 36, gear 82 to shaft 23, gear 81 to shaft 43, and gear 83 to shaft 44.

The machine just described can be adjusted to operate on blanks of different sizes. All of the various elements, the spacing of which is determined by the length of the box can be .moved to take boxes of different lengths, while the forming dies 48 can be replaced by dies of different sizes in order to accommodate boxes of` different Widths and depths.

The machine just described can be eiliciently operated at speeds high enough to produce 80 boxes per minute and possibly more. The blanks are fed downward from the bottom or inner side of the magazine, thus making it possible to load the magazine from the outside without disturbing the operation ofthe machine. The blanks are fed through the machine directly downward thus working with gravity and not against it. The glue is applied only a fraction of a second before the box is formed and there is no long delay between the application of the glue and the forming operation. This means that I can use a thin and highly eflicientglue. time elapses between the application of the glue and the forming application, as is the case in all commercial box machines, it becomes necessary .to use thick glue in order to prevent the glue from soaking into the box. Such a glue does not have the adhesive properties of a properly' thinned If too longa.

glue. In my machine the forming operation follows so quickly on the gluing operation that the glue does not have an opportunity to soak into the cardboard. Because of my novel doctor, the glue-applying r`oller is always kept clean and only the'proper quantity of glue is applied during each gluing operation. The compression blocks which supply the pressure to the ends of the box are heavy castings fitting loosely on their slideway. No accurate machining is required and as pressure is centered on the box a very effective operation results from the very fact that these compression blocks are loosely mounted. The machine has a minimum ofA moving parts, which are strong and rugged and not' easily broken or disarranged.

I claim:

Y 1. In a box machine the combination of cooperating feed rollers for advancing a. blank, a positioning stop on one of said rollers, a bending lug on the other roller designed to cooperate with the rst roller to bend a flap on the blank, and means for positively moving each blank against the positioning stop before it passes between the rollers.

y 2. In a box machine, the combination of a los' magazine for supporting blanks in vertical position, forming means, a feed roller provided with a positioning stop, means for removing the blanks one at a time from the magazine, av disk of slightly larger diameter than the feed roller provided with a projecting pin adapted to engage the upper edge of each blank removed from the magazine, and -means for rotating the disk and feed roller the same number of revolutions per minute, whereby the pin on the disk movesvat a slightly greater speed than the positioning stop on the feed roller` and positively positions the blank against the stop.

3. In a box machine, the combination of a magazine for supporting blanks in vertical position, forming means, a feed roller provided with a positioning stop, means for removing the blanks one at a time from the magazine, a disk of slightly larger diameter than the feed roller provided with a projecting pin adapted to engage the upper edge of each blank removed from the magazine, means for rotating the disk and feed roller the same number of revolutionsv per minute, whereby the pin on the disk moves at a slightly greater speed than the positioning stop on the feed roller and positivelypositions the blanks against the stop, and a secondl feed roller cooperating with the rst and provided with spaced lugs for bending the side flaps of the blanks.

4. In a box machine the combination of formingmeans, comprising a horizontally reciprocating ram and a forming die, and means for feeding blanks vertically to the forming means in such timed relation that each succeeding blank strikes the upper face of the retracting ram and assists in discharging the formed box.

5. In a box machine, the combination of a magazine for supporting blanks in a vertical posi- '5 tion, means for removing the blanks from the magazine one at a time, feed rollers below the magazine, a positioning stop on one of the feedrollers, means carried by the feed rollers for bending the flaps of the blanks, means for positively l@ moving each blank as it is removed from the vuo 

